Filter-fan-lamp equipment



Patented Nov. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The invention hereinafter to be described relates to a device applicable for use either in the home, in an office or in a hospital, and its general object is to make indoor living conditions more comfortable and hygienic through maintaining in the enclosed space a gentle circulation of the air therein after passing through a filtering medium, and if desired, freshened by a mild deodorant or medicated by the fumes of a disinfectant.

In the home or in an office where smoking is permitted, the air soon becomes stale and burdensome and its deodorization, at intervals, is very agreeable to the occupants.

One of the most useful and valuable applica tions of the device is found in the sick room where the patient is afflicted with any disease affecting the respiratory organs, such, for instance, as influenza, hay fever, asthma and even in pneumonia cases. The dissemination of the fumes ofthe disinfecting agent permeating the air the patient breathes and the clothing he wears, greatly allaying the progress of the disease and largely assisting in the recovery of the sick one.

Constructed in the form of a lamp stand the device, equipped with an electric lamp, has as one of its functions the illumination of the room. But the lamp has another function to fulfill, other than supplying light, this duty being to supply heat to expedite the vaporization of the disinfectant when this agent is being used in.

the operation of the appliance.

The lamp stand embodies a tubular base portion within which is installed a small electric motor. A fan-wheel of characteristic design is mounted on the motor shaft which, in this instance, is disposed vertically, causing the air to be projected in a horizontal direction and to all points of the compass.

At the top and bottom of the device is a receptacle, the upper one lying directly on the lamp globe. This receptacle is intended to contain some disinfecting agent which is readily vaporized by the heat of the lamp. The bottom receptacle may contain a volatile deodorizing solution or some fragrant smelling lotion pleasing to the olfactory nerves.

In any application of the device it is of superior advantage to be able to operate it with a little noise as is possible. To attain this object the motor is housed in sound absorbing material which effectively deadens and substantially eliminates noise of the running motor.

A further feature which is in line with hygienic principles resides in the filtration of the air as it passes downwardly from the disinfectant receptacle, freeing it of dust and foreign matter before being projected into the space in the room. I

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out as the description of -the device proceeds; and for a clearer understanding of the import of my invention reference should be had to the following specification disclosing, in connection with the accompanying drawing, a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawing, in which like parts are identified by similar reference characters in all the different views,-

Fig. 1 is a combined half side and half sectional elevation of the device, the side elevation being broken away in parts to more clearly show certain interior details;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section showing the lower end connection of the lamp-supporting standard;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken on line 4-4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the device;

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view taken on line 6-6, Fig. 1,

Fig. 7 shows one method of filling lower receptacle, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the fanwheel blades.

Referring to the drawing, l is a tubular base member having at its lower end an inwardly turned annular flange la from which depends a plurality of rubber plugs 2 upon which the device stands when supported by any object, as by the table T.

The upper end of the member I has an annular, in-turned flange lb through which the tubular lamp, supporting standards 3 pass.

A pan 4, having a circumferential, upstanding flange la, is secured'to the wall of the member l by screws 5.

The tubular standards 3 have collars 6 and l abutting, respectively, on the flange lb and pan 4, to hold the standards against vertical movement in the member I.

Within the'interior of the member I is a small vertical shaft electric motor 8, secured to the wall of'the memberby a bracketed band 9, insulated from the wall of the member by shims l0 made of asbestos or any other sound-absorbing material.

Immediately above the pan 4 are a plurality of discs II, also made of any good non-conductor of sound material. These discs tightly fill the space between the motor and pan 4. Beneath the flange lb and in close contact with the top surface of the motor is another disc H, substantially like those beneath the motor. It will thus be seen that the motor is quite completely insulated from the tubular base member I.

By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be noted that there are a plurality of air-passage holes l2 in the flange lb aligning, respectively, with a like number of similar holes IS in all four discs II and with holes I! in the pan 4. This gives communication facilities for air between the base chamber BC and the fan-wheel space or open chamber FC, in which latter the fan-wheel I5 operates. The fan-wheel is mounted on the vertical shaft 8a of the motor and is of characteristic design, the points of novelty being hereinafter disclosed.

The flange lb has a large central opening lo, and the discs are further provided with a circle of holes l6, and the pan 4 with aligning holes [1, all of these holes being in line with openings (not shown) through the motor casing, for ventilating purposes.

To prevent accidental contact of a person's hands with the revolving fan blades l5, and further to avoid unnecessary obstruction to the passage of air outwardly from the fan space, I provide a louvered construction in the form of thin metal discs I8, supported on the lamp standards 3 and separated by spacer thimbles l9.

Superjacent the discs i8 is an inverted panshape member 20, secured on the lamp standards 3 by clamps 2|. The pan 2!! has a, depressed top portion 20a in which is seated the screen 22 and immediately above this a filtering element 23, preferably made of spun glass.

The top ends of the lamp-supporting standards 3 are joined to a cup-shape member 24 on which latter the lamp socket 25 is secured in any approved manner. A lamp globe 26 surmounts the lamp socket, the current for which is turned on or off by the chain pull device 21.

The wiring circuit for motor and lamp is conventional, and is but briefly depicted in Fig. 1. The main wires W enter the bottom portion of the base through opening 28, the connections to the lamp being passed through one of the hollow lamp-supporting standards 3. The motor current is handled by the switch S, an opening being made in the sound-insulating discs to accommodate it.

Surmounting the whole structure just described is a lamp -shade 29, detachably secured to the lamp globe in the usual manner, or as shown, by yieldable wire elements 30.

Closely fitting the top of the lamp globe 26 is a disinfectant receptacle 3!, having a handle 3la with which to place it on or remove it from the globe.

At the bottom of the base member I is a receptacle 32 in which any volatile substance or solution for deodorizing or freshening the air may be placed. This receptacle 32 may be attached to the base in various ways, but as shown, there are three or more tongues 32a extending outwardly from the upper periphery of the receptacle. On the base flange Ia are cut a like number of notches Id. In positioning the receptacle in the base member, the whole device is raised, the receptacle inserted in the chamber BC with the ears 32a aligning with the notches id. After the ears have been raised above-the top of the flange la, the receptacle is rotated so that the ears move along the flange to a point intermediate adjacent notches. The whole appliance may now be moved from place to place, intact.

It will be noted that under each ear 22a is an abutting plate 33 adapted to thrust loosely on the edge of the flange la. This holds the receptacle concentric with the base member i.

Attention is called to the fact that the receptacle 32 does not fully exclude air from entering the base of the device, as by reference to Fig. 6 it will be observed that a space X is provided between the edge of the flange. la and the vertical sides of the receptacle. Thus air may freely enter the chamber BC and thence through the plurality of holes to the fan-blower space FC.

The design of the fan-wheel blades is quite unusual. It is in effect a duplex blade, drawing air from both the upper and lower portions of the appliance and projecting it horizontally in all directions. For instance, the volatile disinfecting material placed in receptacle 3| is vaporized by the heat of the lamp globe 26. The fumes, naturally, would pass upwardly in a slow moving current, but this is contrary to the concept of this invention, as will now be explained.

As one of the objects sought in the present instance is to provide continuous filtration of the air in the room while the fan-wheel is operating, it obviously becomes necessary to draw this air into the vortex of the current created by rotation of the fan-wheel.

And as it is contemplated using the same fanwheel to disseminate the fumes coming off the heated disinfectant in receptacle 3!, it further becomes necessary to direct these fumes into the before mentioned vortex so that, together with the air entering the top opening in the shade, they may co-mingle in the fan-wheel space and be projected simultaneously into the space of the room, in all horizontal directions.

To accomplish the foregoing object the upper edge portion of each fan blade is bent, as shown at l5a, Fig. 4, this having the effect of pulling the disinfectant-impregnated air downwardly through the space in the lamp shade, through the filtering element 23, and into the fan-wheel space. But the midway portion of .each blade is fiat, and plumb, so that centrifugal action alone now acts to-project the cleaned and medicated air into the room.

Now at certain times it is not necessary, or desirable, to disseminate disinfectants throughout the interior space, a mild deodorant or some'solution which will give a slight fragrance to the air being preferable, the scent rising from this latter agent contained in receptacle 32 passing upwardly to the fan-wheel..

But the fan-wheel blades must be so constructed that a drafting action will be present to lift the aroma upwardly through the openings l2 and i4.

In consequence of this requirement the bottom edge is bent, as at I5b, Fig. 8, which effects a drafting action opposite to that taking place on the upper edge of the blade. It will be apparent from observation of Fig. 1 that a strong suctional force is acting to draw the air upward ly from chamber BC as the lower edges of the blades I5 pass over the openings l2 and I3 incident to the rotation of the fan-wheel.

A very important function fulfilled by the inverted pan-shape member 20, other than that which has already been disclosed, resides in its areas capacity to serve as a draft-tube for air passing downwardly through the air-filtering element 23. The air in chamber Y is first acted on by the downward pulling force of the upper portions of the fan blades. This tends toward creating a vacuum in the tubular space Y and concentrating the suctional force over the area'of the filtering element 23, which further acts to centralize. the air current within the lamp shade, drafting the air lying adjacent the wall of the shade toward the axis of the device.

The foregoing recital is based on actual demonstration of the device, and results have been attained which. would justify the belief that should the side wall or skirt of the member 20 be slightly extended, say to the dotted line L, amplified drafting power of the fan-wheel would accrue.

The operation of the device is quite simple. When used in the day time for air-circulating purposes only, with possibly the freshening effect of a mild perfume or deodorant added to the pro- .iected air, the motorized fan-wheel alone need be put into action. In this instance the lower receptacle 32 is best adapted to contain the deodorant or perfume as it is of greater capacity and the deodorizing agent does not require to be evaporated by the application of heat.

Should it be required to disseminate a disinfectant throughout the room the upper receptacle Si is filled with the disinfecting solution and the lamp turned on. Immediately the vapor starts to rise from the solution the motor driven fan-wheel is started into action. The deodorant may be used or dispensed with, if desired, while medicating the air in the room with the disinfecting agent, by detaching and removing the receptacle 32 from the base member I, unless, of course, this latter receptacle is empty, in which case it may remain, ready for use when again needed. In order to avoid detaching the receptacle 32 for filling with the deodorizing agent, a short tube "is secured to the base member I and extended into the chamber BC, directly over the receptacle.

As has previously been stated, the air projected by the fan-wheel passes on throughout a complete circle, somewhat as would water ofi a rapidly moving fly-wheel.

Persons sitting at the four comers of a room would all simultaneously feel the efiect of a gentle 1 circulation of air provided the device was placed and operated somewhere near the central portion of the room. This is very much at variance with the ordinary air-circulating fan-blower which needs to be placed so that it points toward the direction to which the air current is desired to be projected.

In summation, the device is characterized by its ability to supply illumination'in a room; clean, deodorize and disinfect the air therein and maintain a constant circulation of the air in the in-- terior space. Furthermore, it is ornamental in appearance, simple to operate, and meets the demand for a household necessity requiring no independent agencies to carry out the various functions of the device, as all have been combined in a lamp stand fixture, useful in any home.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the class described comprising in combination with a lamp-holding fixture having a lamp and a shade therefor, a tubularbase member upon which said lamp fixture is mounted, a deodorant-holding receptacle mounted in the bottom portion of said base memher, a perforate pan, having a circumferential flange, secured in said base member upwardly of and spaced from said receptacle, 8. vertical-shaft motor mounted within said base member, soundabsorbing elements, having perforations therein, disposed in said base member both above and below said motor and in contact therewith, said perforate pan supporting the sound-absorbing elements disposed below the motor, a disinfectant-holding receptacle located directly on and detachably above said lamp, and a fan-wheel, actuated by said motor, adapted to draft air both from the interior of said shade and from the bottom end of said base member simultaneously, and project it outwardly in all horizontal directions.

2. A device of the class described, having characteristics according to claim 1, and a filtering element disposed closely adjacent the opening in the lower end of said lamp shade and superjacent said fan-wheel.

DON A. SARGENT. 

